Grenade, projectile, and the like.



W. MILLS.

GRENADE, PROJECTILE, AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 14, [9|].

Patented Feb. 18, 1919.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

W. MILLS.

GRENADE, PROJECTILE, AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 14. 1917.

1,295,050. Patented Feb. 18, 1919;

2 SHEETSSHEET 2- WILLIAM MILLS, OF BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND.

GRENADE, PROJECTILE, AND THE LIKE.

4 Specification of Letters .Patent.

Patented Feb. 18, 1919.

Application filed March 14, 1917. Serial No. 154,861.

the county of Warwick, England, engineer,

have invented certain new and useful Improvements in or Relating to Grenades, Projectiles, and the like, of which the following is a specification.

This invention comprises certain improvements in or relating to grenades, projectiles, and the like, and it relates articularly to grenades, projectiles, or the 11ke of the percussion type, that is to say, of the type adapted to explode upon impact with the object or surface by which the flight of the projectile is checked.

Grenades or projectiles of this character have involved two-relatively movable parts adapted normally to remain in predetermined relative positions and upon impact to be relatively displaced. This relative displacement is adapted to bring about the firing of the projectile.

The present invention has primarily for its purpose to enhance the safety of such a projectile, and with this object in view to avoid premature relative displacement of the aforementioned parts of the grenade.

When the projecting eflort is imparted to the projectile, as for instance by a gun, the

' shock experienced by the projectile is apt to bring about a relative movement of the parts of the projectile which it is desired should remain in undisturbed relationship throughout the flight of the projectile and until the motion of the latter is checked.

According to the present invention, provision, hereinafter for convenience termed the safety provision, is made whereby the relatively movable parts of the projectile are, during the application of the rojecting effort or the initial part thereo retained from such relative movement as would bring about an explosion of the projectile, the said safety provision being so characterized or adapted that it functions positivel and automatically to permit of the relatlve movement of the parts of the projectile after the projecting effort has been imparted, and

prior to the impact with the object or surface by which the flight of the projectile is checked, so that upon such impact the consequent relative movement of the parts of the projectile is enabled to bring about the desired firing of the charge.

The provision for retaining the movable parts of the projectile from relative movement maybe adapted to remain operative not only during the initial application of the projecting effort, but," as a result of the accelerating effort which the projectile exeriences subsequently to the initial projecting efi'ort, also during all or any part of the said accelerating effort.

The provision for retaining the parts of the projectile from relative movement is, prior to the projection of the projectile, retained in its operative condition by provision which is adapted at an appropriate time to release the said safety provision.

The provision for so retaining the safety provision may be adapted to release the lat; ter by virtue of the inertia of such retaining provision occurring as the projectile is projected. Alternatively, the retaining provision may appertain to or form part of the rojecting means. The invention, however, is also applicable to grenades or the like adapted to be thrown by hand, in which case the safety provision may be retained in its operative condition by the hand grasping'the grenade or the like. The retaining provision is adapted to retain the safety provision in its operative condition against the effort of a spring or the equivalent so that after said retaining provision has released the safety provision, the spring or equivalent functions as the positive medium insuring that the requisite movement of the arts of the projectile is duly permitted.

y virtue of the primary part of the movement of the projectile, the safety provision is relieved from the controlling lnfluence of the retaining provision, and thereby becomes automatically released under the influence of the spring or the equivalent, the

virtue of inertia, a semi-locking connection may be provided between the said retaining provision and the grenade body and the safety provision. By virtue of this semilocking connection, the retaining member is is adapted to release the safety provision by v enabled to normally remain, as for instance during transit, in its position or conditlon efiicaciously retaining the safety provision.-

The said semi-locking connection is, however, of a character such that it is disengaged with certainty by virtue of the inertia of the retaining member accruing as a result of the projecting impulse which is imparted to the pro ectile.

After the safety provision has been re lieved from the restraining influence of the retaining provision, it may still be restrained, as for instance by friction occurrod or stem at its rear extremity adapted to be'placed in the barrel of a rifle to provide for the projecting of the grenade, and inasmuch as acceleration occurs throughout the time and period of movement during which the said stem is leaving the barrel, it

3 may be desirable to arrange that the safety provision shall not be automatically disengaged until the said stem or rod has left the barrel. This may be provided for as aforestated by restraining the safety provision by the retaining means and by friction set up by the acceleration existing subsequently to the initial propulsive effort, while furthermore the spring controlling the safety provision may be so designed that the time involvedin its operation of withdrawing the safety device exceeds the period of acceleration.

When the grenade or the like is'adapted to be thrown by hand it may, for instance, be furnished with streamers or other provision adapted to provide that the fore extremity or part of the grenade shall during flight re- I main at the front. Y

One convenient form of projectile 0r grenade to which the present invention is applicable, is that in the form of a hollow body having at its front extremity a striker member adapted to slide or move axially in relation to such body. The striker member which is movable in relation to the projectile body may have a striker disposed in appropriate relationship to a percussion cap or detonator by which latter the charge may be fired. Upon impact the striker member is displaced in relation to the projectile body with the result that the striker fires the percussion cap 0r detonator.

Another form of projectile or grenade to which the present invention is applied is 65 that involving a striker which is normally disposed to the rear of the percussion cap or detonator and which striker upon impact is enabled to move forward by inertia-into contact with the cap or detonator.

This arrangement I may modify by ar- 72 ranging that the cartridge carrying the cap shall be adapted tomove forward by inertia upon impact intocontact with a striker which .is permanently fixed in relation to the projectile body. 7-.-

The percussion cap or detonator or both may be made up in the form of an igniter unit adapted to be transported separately from the grenade, and to be assembled therein. When assembled the detonator is so incorporated that it is eifectively retained from longitudinal or axial movement in relation to the grenade body or striker so that it is incapable of such movement as a result of the shock experienced by the projectile as it receives the projecting effort.

In order that this invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into practice, reference may be had to the appended explanatory two sheets of drawings, upon which:

Figure is an elevation'of one form of projectile according to the'present invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the projectile shown in Fig. 1. y

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the projectile shown in Figs. 1 and 2, but with the striker member detached.

Fig. 4 isa plan of the projectile parts shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 illustrates separately the several parts of the projectile shown in Figs. 1 and -2.

Fig. .6 illustrates separately, parts appertaining to the igniter unit.

In the drawings, a is the pro ectile body; I; is the striker member which is movable in relation to said body, and which is furnished with a striker 0 disposed in appropriate relationship to the percussion cap 01, said striker member I) being adapted upon im-- pact to be displaced in relation to the projectile body. One or a series of stops or spac- 1ng members 6 are adapted to occupy a position or positions intermediately to the parts a, b in order to thereby prevent relative movement thereof. This spacing member or these spacing members e remain. in position in relation to the said movable parts during the initial projecting effort, and are adapted to be subsequently displaced automatically from'this position or these positions' The members 6 are combined with arms or limbs f extending externally around the body of the projectile, said arms or limbs f being coupled at their rear or lower extremities to the grenade body. In the arrangement shown in Fig. 2, pivots g are incorporated in the grenade body, and the lower or rear extremities of the members f are hooked or 13 in relation thereto.

curved as shown, so that when'said members f are contiguous to the body of the grenade, their rear or lower extremities 'are retained Said members f are thereby enabled to have a pivotal movement in relation to the fulcrum g, and after having undergone a degree. of such pivotal movement, they are enabled to separate entirely from the grenade body. The said arms or limbs f are of a spring character, and they are coupled at their upper or fore extremities to the members 6. For this purpose said members f may each be formed with a loop hand the member 6 may be-of U-form, with the transverse part ofthe U passing through the said loop 71.. The inner extremities of the arms of the U-members 6 may be bent or curved toward each other, as shown in Fig. 3. By virtue of the connection between the members e with the limbs f, the angular movement of the limbs f is not transmitted to the members 6.

The retaining provision for the safety members 6, f comprises a ring 71 embracing such arms and the body of the projectile. The ring a is provided with tongues k arranged to extend forwardly, and conveniently disposed one on each side of each limb or member f. Such tongues are adapted to engage with projections Z, recesses, or Other formations upon the body a. Said tongues I}; may at their fore extremities be inturned, and they may be of a springy character so that they are thereby enabled by a semi-locking connection to prevent rearward movement of the ring in relation to the body. Upon the propulsive efiort being imparted to the projectile, the semi-locking connection between the member 2' and the body a, is adapted to automatically disengage as a result of inertia, thereby allowing the projectile body to move forwardly within the ring. During the forward movement of the projectile body within the ring, the latter is adapted to continue to restrain the safety provision. For this purpose the ring rangement.

i is furnished with forward extensions or tongues j adapted to occupy positions contiguous to the outer surfaces of the limbs f. Projections m or formations may be provided upon the body at a position in front of the fore extremities of the tongue members k to positively prevent forward movement of the ring z' in relation to the body. The projections Z may serve to locate the springs y from lateral derangement, and as a result of their being located one on each side of each tongue member 7', they are also enabled to locate the ring 2', from rotary de- .Such rotary derangement of the ring may additionally or'alternatively be prevented ,by the engagement of the semilocking projections with the sides of the safety member spring, or with the sides of depressionsin which said semi-locking mem bers may alternately engage. a

After the members f have been released from the restraining efiort of the tongues j, the members e may remain in their positions intermediately to the members a, b by reason of a frictional grip or retention of the members e by said members a, b consequent upon the acceleration which the projectile may be experiencing subsequently to its reception of the initial impulse. As soon as the spring effort of the members 7' exceeds the frictional grip exercised by the members a, b as a result of the acceleration, themembers e are displaced'radially outwardly by the members f, and in conjunction with the latter, fall away from the grenade body so that interference with the flight of the latter by the members e, f. is thereby avoided. The inwardly projecting part 6 of the safety member may, instead of being capable of angular movement in relation to the part 7, be integrally or rigidly combined therewith, and

such part f, instead of being of a springy adapted to be displaced by separate spring provision suitably incorporated. With such an arrangement Y the inwardly projecting part of the safety member may, if desired, have an inclined surface in engagement with the member 6, such that in its disengaging movement the lever has to displace the memcase, instead of being bent inwardly, may

be diverted outwardly to accommodate the percussion cap d.

The safety members may alternatively be pivoted in the vicinity of their fore extremi: ties, in which case the inwardly projecting arms are relatively short, so that disengagement occurs by virtue of an angular movement of the inturned part.

The provison afiording'the semi-locking connection between the ring 2' and the grenade body a, may be varied considerably. Thus the ring may carry an inwardly projecting semi-spherical or convex projection adapted to coiiperate with a similar depression in the body, and said projection may form a part of or be carried by a stem controlled by a coiled spring.

Alternatively, the connection between the ring and the body may, instead of being a semi-locking one, be a frictional one, for which purpose the said ring may itself be of a spring contractile character and/or it maycarry a series of forwardlyprojecting spring character, may be of .a rigid character and the. ring may in this embodiment be pro-,

vided for by indenting the arms f at suitable points in their length to form concavities .at their external faces, the internal surface of the ring being convex in cross-section so that its inner surface may take Within .de ressions in the arms 1.

11 an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the arms appertaining to the spacing members may be retained primarily by safety pinsor other equivalent means, and when these have been removed, by any suitable stationary part appertaining, for instance, to the member by which the grenade is projected. When the grenade is placed in position within or in relation to a rifle, a socket or equivalent member fitted to or projecting in advance of the fore part of the rifle barrel may be adapted to retain the 's acing member in its operative position.

pon projection of the grenade and consequent forward movement of the latter in relation to this socket or equivalent member, the spacing member is, after the grenade has undergone a certain movement, free to be displaced by its spring into a position in which it no longer prevents movement of the striker part of the grenade in relation to the body thereof. In the case of a projectile adapted to be projected from a gun, mortar, or the like, and in which the body of the projectile is received within the barrel of the gun, mortar, or the like, such barrel may itself function as the means which primarily retain the spacing member or members in their operative position.

In one convenient method of incorporating the igni-ter unit, a nipple n is provided adapted to be forced, screwed, or otherwise secured within an aperture in the front face of the projectile. This nipple n has expanded into it nd also soldered in position, the open extremity of an elongated cup member 0. When the nipple carrying this cup member is secured within the grenade body, the interior of the latter and the charge contained therein are effectively inclosed and rendered waterproof. The grenade body may be charged byway of the aperture closed by this nipple or it may be charged from the other extremity by an aperture which may beclosed by a plug p, which latter -may carry the rod 51 or stem separable firing adapted to be inserted into the barrel of the pro ecting rifle. The nipplen aforementioned is internally screwed'and is adapted to receive a second nipple 1'. Into this second nipple the open end of an elongated cup-like detonator s is expanded, such detonator being also secured by solder, prior to the detonator charge being incorporated, and into the open extremity of the detonator after the latter has been charged, the center fire or other cap d is suitably forced or incorporated, so that the ca d, detonator s, and carrier nipple 1', there or, constitute the unit which may be readily assembled within the detonator housing 0. To rovide for this assemblage, the one mem er I) of the projectile is separable from the body a, and is adapted to be readily assembled in relation thereto in such a manner as to be capable of the desired relative movement.

In the arrangement illustrated, the memher 7) is furnished with spring arms or tongues if having internal projections adapted to engage With elongated recesses u provided inthe grenade body. The member I) may be disconnected from the member a by first imparting to the former member a rotary movement, as a result of which the projections upon the tongues t are enabled to pass out of the recesses u by ascending the lateral acclivities o. The assemblage of the member I) in relation to the body a may be eflected by virtue of the notches w, the surfaces of which constitute acclivities by which the projections upon the members 25 are enabled to ride on to the periphery of the body a, and afterward pass into the recesses u.

It will be noted that substantially the whole of the mechanism of the renade is visible to the user. The latter is thereby enabled to satisfy himself of the effectiveness of the safety provision.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A grenade, projectile or the like, including tworelatively movable parts, adapted, upon impact to be moved one with respect to the other, safety provision movable in relation to both of said parts for preventing prema-ture movement of said parts, restraining means for maintaining said safety means in its operative condition and for liberating it prior to the impact with the object or surface by which the flight of the projectile is checked, a spring for disengaging said safety means, said spring being adapted, by reason of the fact that it is secured to a part of the projectile after said safety means has been released from the influence of the restraining means, to posi' tively displace said safety means in relation to the projectile, and in which the arrangement is such that after the safety means has been released from the influence of the restraining means, it is restrained by eifort accruing from the tendency of relative extremity with a striker member movable in relation to said body, one or a series of stops located between the striker member and the body, which stops are combined with spring arms or limbs extending externally of the body and coupled at their rear extremities to the grenade body, said stops being connected in such a manner with the spring arms as to be capable of movement in relation therewith.

3. A grenade, projectile, or the like, including a hollow body furnished at its front extremlty with a, striker member movable in relation to the said body, located between the striker and the body, said stops bein combined with spring arms or limbs encirc ed by a ring, WhlCh ring is provided with tongues occupying positions adjacent to the spring arms or limbs, such ring being furnished with a second series of tongues which latter tongues are adapted to cooperate with projections provided upon the grenade. 1 V in In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM MILLS.

Witnesses:

ARTHUR H. BROWN, EDGAR N. WHEELER.

a series of stops 

